From Sagaboi founder Geoff K. Cooper comes his first clothing collection, entitled “Ramajay”, an eclectic fusion of Cooper’s diverse Trinidadian heritage, and broader West Indian culture and history.
Influenced by the iconic outfits of Caribbean calypsonians such as Mighty Sparrow, actors Geoffrey Holder and Harry Belafonte, and men’s style of the Windrush generation, the collection riffs on the military silhouettes and flamboyant tailoring they wore, seamlessly integrated with streetwear silhouettes, and knitwear inspired by materials found in local fishing villages.
The title of the collection – ‘ramajay -’ loosely refers to letting go and breaking away, often in the sense of musical improvisation with the steel pan. At the core of this collection is that same free-spirited exploration of personality seen through a multicultural lens, and played out at the intersection of streetwear, leisurewear, and expressive tailoring. It dances to a steel pan beat, elevated by a distinctive Caribbean colour palette that references the flora and fauna of Cooper’s native Trinidad, as well as the varied Hindu and African ceremonies the designer attended as a child growing up on the island.
Sagaboi
Photos: Magda Jakubik/BFA.com
The collection is also a love letter to the style of the Windrush generation, which Cooper researched deeply, and was inspired by how the men who suddenly found themselves in a new and decidedly colder environment, evolved their looks with elements of 50s and 60s London fashion.
From the knitwear – all handmade by female crocheters and knitters in the Caribbean – to the classic tailored shapes on suits, to jazzed up denim twinsets, the collection has a playful carnival energy throughout.
From the knitwear – all handmade by female crocheters and knitters in the Caribbean – to the classic tailored shapes on suits, to jazzed up denim twinsets, the collection exuded a playful carnival energy throughout.
In outerwear, “rough around the edges” was the intention. Bomber jackets featured Sagaboi’s signature distressed steel pan quilting and coats had beautifully unfinished edges. Kilts were offered in cerulean blue leather and deeply textured black wools. Slogan tees beamed with West Indian colloquial terms and vernacular (e.g. “Big Big Tings”). As for the colours of the collection, it was a sweet dance between idyllic reds, blues, oranges and mint – all grounded by black, brown and white.
About Sagaboi
Founded in 2015 by Geoff K. Cooper (@geoffkcooper), Sagaboi operated as a magazine before pivoting to a men’s apparel label in late 2022, now being presented for Autumn/Winter 23. Linked to the Caribbean subculture “saga boy” (a West Indian word meaning “a playboy” or someone who dresses in an extremely fashionable and stylish manner) which surfaced in the 1930s as a form of masculine rebellion through fashion, the brand is inspired by the island region’s culture, diaspora, history, lifestyle, people and practices, as well as drawing energy from its interconnectedness with global happenings and pop-culture both present and past.
About Geoff K. Cooper
Geoff K. Cooper is the founder and creative director of men’s fashion brand Sagaboi, and the media platform, Sagaman, as well as being a fashion editor, creative consultant, stylist, producer and writer.
As an arbiter of style and creative polymath, Geoff is regularly featured in the world’s top fashion publications for his spirited style – from GQ (America, Brazil, British, China, France, Italia, Mexico), Buro247, Elle, Essence, Esquire to High Snobiety, ID, L’Offciel Homme, Vogue and WWD.
Prior to his media career, Geoff worked at the United Nations, Goldman Sachs, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where, for his charitable work with young people, he was a recipient of the PwC’s highest honour, The Chairman’s Award.
##
Learn More
@sagaboi_official
New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week schedule
With love,
FWO
